farabeck

Hi,

I am going on a business trip to Rome in July. I will be there about 6 days for work and had planned on staying an additional 4-8 days depending on how much my wife and I decide we can spend. She will be joining me at the end of my work (eg day 6) and we're trying to figure out days 7-10 or 7-14.

We have to start in rome and depart rome as well due to my company booking the tickets. However, during our stay we want to visit Milan and Venice and I wouldn't mind stopping in Bologna and Pisa. Any suggestions on what the best method to go to all these places? Also, should we rent a car or just use the trains? It seems that it may be less expensive to get a rental, however, I have heard that theft is a problem there.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks.

ekc

Absolutely train is the way to go. Easy and convenient and it can be relatively inexpensive if you can book ahead online and get the MINI discount (since your travel days are set). How long you spend in each city depends on the length of the "vacation" part of your trip and what your interests are. For example, if your main interest for Milan is to see the Last Supper (and assuming you can get a reservation) and/or the Duomo, you could stop in Milan on your way to Venice on Day 7. It would save time and a hotel change (leaving your luggage in the luggage check at the train station). Give us a little more info and we can give you some more definitive answers.

Jean

Have either of you been to Rome before?

If you're just thinking of quickly seeing a few cities before returning to Rome, don't rent a car. It will just be a time-waster in the end. The trains will take you from city center to city center.

But before you get too comfy with the idea of seeing two, three or four cities in 4-6 days, look at the travel times involved. Also, depending on your departing flight time, you may have to return to Rome for the last night.

http://www.fsitaliane.it/homepage_en.html

ekc's suggestion does save a hotel change or two but will make for one or more very long (and may I add very warm) days.

ira

ttt

franco

You're aware that you're not going to SEE any of those cities at that rapid pace? Rome alone is a city for which a lifetime is too short to see all her world-class wonders, and for starters, those 4 to 8 days would be fine for at least a superficial introduction to the most interesting place on this planet.

Jean

I totally agree with you, franco, but I've been surprised lately with how some people actually like this sort of 'lightning strike' approach to touring. So, now I just tell them to look at the travel time involved and decide for themselves.

annhig

I totally agree with you, franco, but I've been surprised lately with how some people actually like this sort of 'lightning strike' approach to touring.>>

Jean - you may be right, but IME surprisingly few of those who were convinced that the whirlwind tour was right for them come back here and tell us what a wonderful time they had, whereas many post TR's about how glad they were they slowed down.

farabeck - what a terrific opportunity to get to know Rome. it may not be a lifetime, but 4-8 days in Rome is better than nothing. if you've only got 4 days I'd definitely stay in Rome and Rome alone, with 6 you might add a day trip to tivoli or orvieto, with 8 you could perhaps spend 3 nights in Milan, OR Venice, OR Bologna, but not all 3.

Have a great trip!

Jean

And I agree totally with you too, annhig, but I'm sure you've seen the threads where the OP resents being told their plan won't be enjoyable and also the threads where one or two Fodorites (who shall remain nameless, but you know who you are) chime in to say we're too controlling and supercilious.

Anyway, a few OPs do come back to the thread post-trip and report how well it all worked out for them. So I'm back to saying they should check the travel times and decide for themselves.

annhig

Jean - you're right. of course it's entirely up to posters whether they follow the advice they get [and sometimes that could be phrased more tactfully, difficult though that is when faced with someone who thinks that they can see 6 countries in as many days] but there seems to be little point in asking for advice and then getting cross when you get it.

farabeck - that paragraph has nothing to do with your query of course. the answers to your questions are:

best method to see those places - Pisa, Milan, Venice, Bologna,

How - by train - it's just so much more convenient for visiting cities in Italy than a car is

yes there is theft, but not enough for you to worry about. [more likely to be from a rental car, not theft of the car itself].

However, as stated above, I wouldn't recommend trying to visit all those places in the time you've got.

charnees

I have to agree with the others on this. But I wanted to add another reason to take the train. In the cities you are interested in you cannot drive into the city center unless you have a resident permit. If you do, a photo of your car will be taken and months later you will receive a whopping ticket (through your car rental agency). Plus, the cities were not built to accommodate cars so many streets are narrow and congested, and it's extremely hard to find your way. And traffic is crazy as no American city's traffic is.